Govardhan Puja 2026: Annakut, 56 Bhog List, Puja Vidhi & Muhurat

What Is Govardhan Puja and Annakut?

Govardhan Puja celebrates Lord Krishna lifting the Govardhan hill on his little finger to shelter the people and cows of Braj from Indra's storm. Annakut, meaning a "mountain of food," is the offering made that day: a large heap of dishes arranged like a hill and offered to Krishna.

As the story goes, the young Krishna asked the villagers of Braj to worship the Govardhan hill, which fed their cattle and gave them water, instead of Indra. Angered, Indra sent seven days of rain, and Krishna held the hill up as an umbrella until Indra accepted his mistake. The festival is a reminder to honour nature, cows and the land that feeds us.

In Mathura and Vrindavan, lakhs of devotees do the 21 km (7 kos) parikrama of Govardhan hill, and temples prepare huge Annakut displays.

Govardhan Puja 2026 Date and Timings

Govardhan Puja 2026 falls on Tuesday, 10 November in India. It's usually the day after Diwali, but this year Amavasya is still running at sunrise on Monday, 9 November, so Kartik Shukla Pratipada, the tithi of Govardhan Puja, is counted from sunrise on 10 November.

Tithi timings follow Panchang for New Delhi, and the sunrise time follows Panchang. Some official holiday lists show Govardhan Puja on 9 November, but the panchang sunrise rule places it on 10 November in India. For your city's exact Pratahkala muhurat, open Panchang and set the location to your city first, since it shows results for your detected location by default.

56 Bhog List (Chappan Bhog)

Chappan bhog is an offering of 56 dishes to Lord Krishna. The tradition says Krishna ate eight meals a day, and since he held Govardhan for seven days without eating, the people of Braj made up for it with 7 × 8 = 56 dishes.

Families and temples use different lists. Here is one common 56 bhog list, grouped so it's easy to plan:

You don't need all 56 at home. Many families offer 5, 11 or 21 dishes with the same devotion. All bhog should be freshly made and sattvik: vegetarian, made without onion or garlic, and offered to Krishna before anyone tastes it. That includes the samosa and kachori, which are made with a sattvik filling for the Annakut. For the ghee, pure Gir Cow Bilona Ghee is a traditional choice for Krishna's bhog.

Annakut Sabzi Recipe

Annakut ki sabzi is the heart of the offering: a sattvik mixed vegetable made with as many seasonal vegetables as you can gather, cooked without onion or garlic. This version serves 6 to 8.

Ingredients

• About 1 kg mixed seasonal vegetables: potato, pumpkin, sweet potato, arbi, cauliflower, carrot, green peas, beans, lauki, raw banana, and a handful of methi or spinach

• 3 tbsp ghee or mustard oil

• 1 tsp jeera and a pinch of hing

• 1 tbsp grated ginger and 2 green chillies, chopped

• 1 tsp haldi, 2 tsp dhania powder, 1 tsp red chilli powder

• 1 tsp amchur, 1/2 tsp garam masala, salt to taste

• Fresh coriander to finish

Method

1. Wash and cut all the vegetables into similar bite-sized pieces.

2. Heat ghee in a large kadhai, add jeera and hing, then ginger and green chillies.

3. Add the harder vegetables first (potato, sweet potato, arbi, pumpkin) with haldi, dhania powder, red chilli and salt, and stir for 3 to 4 minutes.

4. Add the remaining vegetables and about 1/2 cup water, cover and cook on low heat for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring now and then, until everything is soft.

5. Add the greens, amchur and garam masala, cook for 2 more minutes, and finish with fresh coriander.

Govardhan Puja Vidhi at Home

The Govardhan puja vidhi is simple: make a small Govardhan hill, worship it with Lord Krishna, offer the Annakut, do parikrama around it, and honour cows. In 2026, do it on the morning of Tuesday, 10 November.

1. Make the Govardhan hill: Shape a small hill in the courtyard or puja area with cow dung, as is traditional. In flats, use wheat flour dough, mud or a heap of grains instead.

2. Decorate it: Add flowers, small twigs as trees, and figures of cows and cowherds around it. Place a Krishna idol or picture nearby.

3. Worship: Offer roli, rice, flowers, water and a ghee diya to the Govardhan hill and Lord Krishna.

4. Offer the Annakut: Place the 56 bhog, or your smaller selection, in front of the hill.

5. Parikrama: Walk around the hill seven times, chanting "Govardhan Dhari ki Jai" or the Krishna mantra.

6. Gau puja: Feed and honour cows with jaggery, roti or grass. If there are no cows nearby, many families feed a cow at a temple or donate to a gaushala instead.

7. Aarti and prasad: Perform aarti, then share the Annakut as prasad with family and neighbours.

For the aarti, a Kansa bell gives the classic temple sound; see our Kansa Pooja Bell guide.

Govardhan Aarti

The traditional Govardhan aarti is sung after the parikrama, with a ghee diya and a bell.

श्री गोवर्धन महाराज, ओ महाराज, तेरे माथे मुकुट विराज रह्यो। तोपे पान चढ़े तोपे फूल चढ़े, तोपे चढ़े दूध की धार। तेरी सात कोस की परिकम्मा, चकलेश्वर है विश्राम। तेरे गले में कंठा साज रह्यो, ठोड़ी पे हीरा लाल। तेरे कानन कुण्डल चमक रह्यो, तेरी झांकी बनी विशाल। गिरिराज धरण प्रभु तेरी शरण, करो भक्त का बेड़ा पार।

Shri Govardhan Maharaj, O Maharaj, tere mathe mukut viraj rahyo, Tope paan chadhe tope phool chadhe, tope chadhe doodh ki dhaar.

Wording varies slightly between families and regions, so sing the version your elders taught you.

Gujarati New Year 2026, Diwali Padwa and Bali Pratipada

Gujarati New Year 2026, called Bestu Varas, falls on Tuesday, 10 November in India, the same day as Govardhan Puja. It marks the start of Vikram Samvat 2083 in the Gujarati calendar.

Families wear new clothes, draw rangoli, visit elders and temples, and greet each other with "Saal Mubarak" or "Nutan Varshabhinandan." For traders, it's the first working day of the new financial year, after the new account books (chopda) are worshipped on Diwali night; see the Chopda Pujan section of our Diwali Lakshmi Puja Vidhi.

The same Pratipada is also Bali Pratipada, honouring the demon king Bali's yearly return to earth, celebrated especially in Karnataka and Maharashtra.

Diwali Padwa 2026

Diwali Padwa, celebrated in Maharashtra on Kartik Shukla Pratipada, honours the bond between husband and wife. In 2026, it falls on Tuesday, 10 November in India. The wife performs an aarti for her husband, who gives her a gift, and many Marathi business families also open their new account books on this day. Newly married couples often celebrate their first Padwa with the wife's family.

Conclusion

In 2026, Govardhan Puja comes with a pause: Diwali on Sunday, a quiet Monday, and the Annakut on Tuesday, 10 November. Make your Govardhan hill, offer what bhog you can with love, walk the parikrama, and welcome the Gujarati New Year the same morning.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Is Govardhan Puja 2026 on 9 or 10 November?
A: In India, Govardhan Puja 2026 is on Tuesday, 10 November, because Amavasya is still running at sunrise on 9 November. Some holiday lists show 9 November, but the panchang sunrise rule places it on the 10th. In the USA, UK and UAE, it's on Monday, 9 November.

Q: What is Annakut?
A: Annakut means "mountain of food." On Govardhan Puja, families and temples offer Lord Krishna a large heap of vegetarian dishes, arranged like the Govardhan hill, and then share it as prasad.

Q: Why are 56 bhog offered to Krishna?
A: Tradition says Krishna ate eight meals a day. Since he held the Govardhan hill for seven days without eating, the people of Braj offered him 7 × 8 = 56 dishes afterwards.

Q: Can I make the Govardhan hill without cow dung?
A: Yes. In flats and cities, many families shape the hill from wheat flour dough, clean mud or a heap of grains. The devotion matters more than the material.

Q: When is Gujarati New Year 2026?
A: Gujarati New Year (Bestu Varas) 2026 is on Tuesday, 10 November in India, marking the start of Vikram Samvat 2083.

Q: What is the Govardhan Puja muhurat in 2026?
A: In India, do the Govardhan Puja in the Pratahkala (morning) of Tuesday, 10 November 2026, after sunrise (6:39 AM in New Delhi) and well before Pratipada tithi ends at 2:00 PM. For your city's exact window, check Panchang with your city selected.